Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Assistant Secretary Dra. Lorraine Marie Badoy wrote this in her Facebook account yesterday, July 4th, 2017. As one of the most vocal supporters of President Duterte, Filipinos locally and around the world follow her account with a total number of more than 59 thousand.
It's a common consensus that the Philippines Facebook's manager is a supporter of the opposition Liberal Party, the reason that the Facebook accounts of prominent supporters of President Duterte are being shutdown and deactivated. The way I see it, it is about time for them to change their social media platform, GO TO THE OTHER SIDE.
Dra. Lorraine wrote:
What a day it's been.
My friends, the newlyweds, Pia Castro and Ricky Medenilla, and I got to see again the Lumad/B'laan/T'Boli farmers trafficked by Hacienda Luisita that they took into their homes when they escaped and whom they brought to our care in DSWD so that we were able to send them home.
It was like seeing old friends again so there was a lot of hugging and some crying too. This time, tears of happiness. They were home, firmly now in their family's embrace.
Ricky and Pia raised over half a million pesos for them and this will go towards the creation of their coop with the guidance of the Cooperative Development Authority. And I got to check on DSWD services for them and I got to talk to the Population Development guy, Tristan so they make RH choices available to everyone.
I was told the President heard about this coop project and has given millions worth of farming equipment. I'm sorry I was half listening to Pia when she told me so I can't remember the full details. Later ok?
That's our ginapalangga nga Pangulo for you. So when haters say their weird "He is anti poor." , the whole of Mindanao laughs.
Digong Duterte is friend and protector of the poor- beloved by our indigenous brothers and sisters because he is their fierce defender. That's just common knowledge in these parts of the country.
Over 250 farmers from 13 barangays will find their collective strength by banding together and learn that when they organize, this is where they will find the strength that's eluded them because they are poor.
And it is our fervent hope- we who accompany them in this journey , that they will overcome. And that real soon, 250 families (for starters) will get out of the desperate cycle of poverty they've been trapped in for generations.
That this poverty their parents passed on to them will end with them and that their children have much much better lives than they've, thus far, had.
We dream this dream with them.
We dream this dream with all of you.
Earlier today in this same hut where I am now, I danced with our T'Boli brothers and sisters. They taught me da moves. A collective hoedown. And damn, I felt that in my soul. Ramdam na ramdam ko ang dangal ng pagiging Pilipino ko. Naka T'Boli costume pa ako. Panalo dba?
Napakayaman ng kultura natin. Bulag lang ang hindi makakakita neto. At mas nanaisin ko pa ang mga pulseras at aritos na gawang kamay ng mga katutubo kesa yang mga overpriced, hyped up De Beers diamond shit na yan.
We ate the excellent feast they prepared for us. Then settled onto the banig spread on the bamboo floor to chika while gazing at the stars that twinkled outside the thatched windows before us.
Like gentle sentinels, T'Boli women and their daughters have accompanied me in their hut. I didn't ask them to. It just seemed the most natural thing in the world for them to do. And I let them. It just seemed the most natural thing in the world for me too.
All I hear now is the lovely silence and the distant sound of dogs barking and too, the soft snores of the T'Boli women in their banigs next to mine.
And now it is time to dream sweet dreams about our country. And tomorrow when we awake, we roll up our sleeves and work to make those dreams happen.
Goodnight, my darlings. As you can very well guess, internet here is real slow so I won't be able to chika with you. Just thought I'd share with you what my day's been like. I hope you had a day as sparkling as mine.
Besos y abrazos!
This letter is a continuity of the fund-raising drive in Facebook for a Filipino tribal group of farmers from Mindanao that have escaped from Hacienda Luisita end of last year. All funds gathered were mostly from her and the other social media warriors' followers in Facebook who heeded Dra. Lorraine's call. She is just one of the social media warriors, and I can imagine how one or two of them can bring to Steemit. I have mentioned to her about Steemit but can't yet fully understand it. I need more time.
I have emphasised some words to signify the importance on what is about the letter.
https://www.facebook.com/lorraine.badoy/posts/10155480250269834
